"You'd admit it if you saw it?"

"I'm not trying to hide anything. But I know that I've not given any
lease, and I've not sold any stumpage and--"

"Then, what's this?" The sheriff had pulled two legal documents from
his pocket, and unfolding them, had shown Houston the bottom of each.
Barry's eyes opened wide.

"That's--that's my signature," came at last.

"This one's the same, isn't it?" The second paper was shoved forward.

"Yes."

"Then I don't see what you're kicking about. Do you know any one named
Jenkins, who is a notary public?"

"He works in my office in Boston."

"That's his writing, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"And his seal."

"I suppose so." Bewildered, Houston was looking at the papers with
glazed eyes. "It looks like it."

"Then," and the sheriff's voice went brusque, "what right have you to
try to run these men off of property for which you've given them a
bona-fide lease, and to which you've just admitted your signature as
genuine?"

"I've--I've given no lease. I--"

"Then look 'em over. If that isn't a lease to the lake and flume and
flume site, and if the second one isn't a contract for stumpage at a
dollar and a half a thousand feet,--well, then, I can't read."

"But I'm telling you that I didn't give it to them." Houston had
reached for the papers with a trembling hand. "There's a fraud about
it somewhere!"

"I don't see where there can be any fraud when you admit your
signature, and there's a notary's seal attached."

"But there is! I can't tell you why--but--"

"Statements like that don't count in law. There are the papers and
they're duly signed and you've admitted your signature. If there's any
fraud about it, you've got the right to prove it. But in the
meanwhile, the court's injunction stands. You've leased this land to
these men, and you can't interfere with them. Understand?"

"All right." Houston moved hazily back, away from the flume site.
Ba'tiste stood staring glumly, wondering, at the papers which had been
returned to the sheriff. "But I know this, that it's a
fakery--somehow--and I'll prove it. I have absolutely no memory of
ever signing any such papers as that, or of even talking to any one
about selling stumpage at a figure that you should know is ridiculous.
Why, you can't even buy the worst kind of timber from the government at
that price! I don't remember--"

"Didn't I tell you?" Thayer had turned to the sheriff. "There he goes
pulling th